“Pot” Stemmet faces rates over theft of Lottery-funded products
“Pot” Stemmet faces rates over theft of Lottery-funded products
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed by the Countrywide Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned by the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution after devices compensated for with resources in the Lottery was removed from a Cape City setting up he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
In line with a prosecutor the criminal costs could contain fraud, removal of apparatus that had been hooked up because of the Sheriff and interfering by using a City of Cape Town energy meter.
The charges stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil court docket make a difference, is trying to find to recover above R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, lawful charges and harm to a rented creating in Crete Road, in the commercial spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The setting up was previously the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and it is the place a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s generations-aged minstrel culture was supposedly operating.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution for theft and fraud just after tools paid out for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape City setting up.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Commercial Criminal offense Unit on 16 Oct 2024 and explained to to seem from the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom within the working day although the issue wasn't put on the court roll since the investigating officer didn't produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court in January.
The legal rates stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that is searching for to Recuperate in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid hire, fascination, authorized fees and damage to a rented developing in Crete Street, in the industrial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Beforehand the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-previous minstrel culture was supposedly working.
The premises also housed numerous businesses owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a medication significant flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran within the premises ended up a hat producing enterprise along with a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested quite a few situations for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed theft from the eighties.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese by the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court on thirty January 2025.
Despite the fact that Stemmet is but to be introduced which has a cost sheet, attainable fees, include fraud, elimination of apparatus that were hooked up by the Sheriff, and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape City energy meter, Based on an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make any difference.
A grant of just about R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was Portion of much more than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted to the CTMCA between 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - about R54.three-million - paid out while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 financial decades, according to Nationwide Lotteries Fee (NLC) yearly reports.
Stemmet was appointed a director with the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing หวย หุ้น ช่อง 9 as two of many directors of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed to be a director in 2021.
Based on Meuwese, the setting up was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The corporate was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting yearly reports.
A whole new entity with the identical title was subsequently registered as A non-public company, but with Stemmet no longer a director, In accordance with CIPC information. Alternatively, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
Around the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared plus the machinery was eradicated, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The machines was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent inside the Athlone industrial area, which housed many of Stemmet’s companies plus a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned through the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
However, the supposed new museum website, such as the old 1 in Wetton, was properly clear of any of Cape City’s tourist routes and guests could not obtain it. There was no signage on the developing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s firms vacated the premises earlier this year following he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum was not the only real lottery grant the CTMCA received. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC initially refused to reveal who had been given Covid funding but last but not least relented less than media and parliamentary stress.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial gain entities associated with Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates include things like R1.four-million for that Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC once-a-year reports. Stemmet is a previous director in the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which can be registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road workplaces, was allocated R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. Nonetheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on excellent studies related to previously funding gained from the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed that the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
Also under investigation can be a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid out R500,000 of this to lawyers acting in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a firm where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, toward the purchase from the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo after Letwaba Individually recommended the grant be compensated to his wife’s enterprise.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.